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What If?

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What if Ricky Stanzi is the answer for the Chiefs going into 2013? This article isn't suppose to be a case FOR Ricky Stanzi. However, there are some things that are worth noting when it comes to the young QB. I know this sounds a little off the wall, but if you think about it, there isn't an absolute dead on answer for this organization at the QB position. There isn't an Andruw Luck or RGIII in this draft worth taking #1 overall. If you're not interested in Mike Vick, there aren't any FA options out there either (Joe Flacco won't make it to FA). If the current coaching staff stays in place, you could make a case for Matt Moore from Miami, but even he is a stretch.

Throughout the offseason, all we could talk about was the battle between Quinn and Stanzi for the #2 spot. If you're Crennel and Pioli heading into the season, you're probably going to put someone with more experience behind Cassel to keep you in contention if something goes wrong with Cassel. So, they obviously go with Quinn, even though most reports had Stanzi as the winner coming out of the preseason.

As the season has progressed and each week has seen this team be absolutely disinterested, unmotivated, and downright horrible, so why wouldn't this franchise put the rookie in to see what they have in their former 5th round pick? If the QB play has been SO bad to this point, why not exhaust all your options for evaluation purposes... ESPECIALLY when it comes to a QB who at the very least, pushed Quinn to the max to be the #2?

If you are Pioli and Crennel, here are your options going into 2013:

#1 overall pick QB- An EXTREME reach in value if taking a QB #1 overall. If they can't trade into the teens to grab a QB, taking a QB #1 overall would be worse than taking T. Jackson #3 overall.

Michael Vick- Best QB in the free agent market

Trade for a current backup. Poor options, costs draft picks. (Besides, isn't that what we have in Stanzi?)

Ricky Stanzi- 5th round pick with 2 seasons behind Matt Cassel (who sat behind Tom Brady) and his great work ethic (even if not great skill).

Put Ricky Stanzi and his stats next to one of the QBs coming out of this draft. Look at his size and comparisons. Is there REALLY a QB worth taking #1 overall that represents a higher upside than Ricky Stanzi with 2 years NFL experience? I have my doubts.

Metrics haven't hit in football nearly the way they have in baseball, but it's not like this article is something that should be dismissed. Coming out of college, Stanzi was getting a ton of Tom Brady comparisons. Not only are they the EXACT SAME SIZE, standing at 6'4, 225, but their college careers are damn near identical with the edge going to Stanzi in the same conference.

We don't know ANYTHING about what Ricky Stanzi can do in this league. When playing in preseason, he's been average with the 2nd group. There hasn't been anything definitive one way or the other about his play in the preseason that would make us believe that he's absolutely capable or incapable of playing at a high level in the NFL. What I CAN say about Stanzi is that we hadn't heard from Iowa BEFORE he got there and we haven't heard from them SINCE he left.

If the front office came out this winter and said their plan was to go with Ricky Stanzi in 2013 and perhaps bring in another QB via the draft in the middle rounds, what could possibly be said about the decision? Stanzi was a 5th round QB that probably needed a couple seasons on the bench to be groomed. If in the summer of 2012 (his second season), he was already pushing a former first round pick for his position, imagine where he could be heading into his 2013 and beyond. At the very least, you'd have to think he's the clear favorite to be the #2 next season. If the Chiefs choose to go QB in free agency, you'd have to think Stanzi is their guy.

Now, why wouldn't they be putting the kid in right now in order for him to gain some experience and perhaps some evaluation notes? Honestly, it could be to protect him. The O-line isn't healthy. This is the first year for the new OC and throwing in the young QB may not be the best environment for him, especially mid-season. It could be to protect him (and the FO jobs) from media scrutiny if this is in fact the path they decide to follow. As I said before, there's no definitive opinion on Stanzi outside the organization. The only thing we have to draw our conclusions from is the fact that the organization has decided NOT to put him on the field yet. What we are overlooking is the reason WHY. It seems that we are ASSUMING that it's because he's not good enough. I don't claim to know the answer, but what I AM saying is there could be OTHER reasons as to why Stanzi hasn't seen the field yet.

Just remember that Ricki Stanzi was neck and neck with Brady Quinn for the backup spot heading into 2012. Most people thought he had beaten out Quinn for the job. Are we to believe that a 5th round pick who was making that kind of headway coming into the season, suddenly fell off a cliff to the point where he doesn't even warrant a look during a 2-win season? OR is it possible that maybe... just maybe, this team has already found its QBOTF and would rather let the young QB start with a fresh slate next season without the worry of the press writing article after article stating why Stanzi CAN'T be "the guy." If the front office has already done enough evaluations and have already made their mind up that Stanzi will be "the guy" in 2013, there's really no need in their mind, to put Stanzi on the field and have him exposed.

Nobody knows anything about this kid other than the stats coming out of college that had the media drawing Tom Brady comparisons. Perhaps, they want to keep it that way.

This coaching staff is so utterly and completely inept that I can not put any faith in their evaluation of players. To say Breaston is not playing because he doesn't understand the playbook is such a complete lie that you can not trust anything coming out of the spin doctors at Arrowhead.

This group of coaches have shown me nothing to prove they know anything about the quarterback position. So when they say Stanzi isn't either capable or ready to play in the NFL it raises more questions than it answers.

Moving forward I can only hope the GM and 90% of the front office are sent packing. In doing so I also hope that they can truly evaluate what is on this roster including Ricky and finally make a series of moves that we can stick with to have continuity. On MNF, paraphrasing the statement, Brady has been in the same system for eleven years being the major factor in his ability to run that offense at such a high level.

It could be Stanzi, it could be Smith or Barkley. Whoever it is must be evaluated by a true scout. Once that's determined then let's hope we can get an OC that knows the NFL is passing league and can make that player something special. But I don't trust anything this group would do with Stanzi at this point, I just want to move on.

There is a reason that with the horrid season our qbs have had Stanzi still hasn't gotten a start. I guess at this point what could it hurt, but I can't see him being even half as good as Quinn. But seasons been over since week 1 anyway so whatever at this point. I'm just ready for the season to end so we can see what/if any changes will be made.

Some hopeful thoughts there. Not easy to come by these days. Since Stanzi hasn't been given any sort of chance I have a hard time seeing him as the QBOTF.....but then management/coaching haven't exactly shown any great ability at evaluating talent so maybe Stanzi could be "the man". Dunno.....

But.....we are going to have a very high 1st round pick this year and I am not sure I see a QB worth a #1, 2 or 3 pick.....so I would have no problems dumping Cassel and trading down to build the o-line.

I guess what I am saying is that with this catastropy of a season and how thin the draft is in QBs, I'd not have a problem with using the draft to focus elsewhere and give Stanzi his shot as a starter next year.

Worst case????? Another high first round pick.

I want a new coach.

I want a new GM.

I want a new QB.

And I don't want any "quick fix".

Spend 5 years if that what it takes, but I don't want any more teases where we sneak into the playoffs and get wiped in the first round.

58Chiefs - The coach did not say he did not know the play book he said "He needs to show that he has a great understanding of the game plan and he can execute the game plan," that is why I said does not the game plan change every week depending on who we are playing. Maybe not with our coaches that might be one reason why we are 2-11. Our game plan looks like it is run right, run left, throw a short or incomplete pass and punt

58Chiefs - The coach did not say he did not know the play book he said "He needs to show that he has a great understanding of the game plan and he can execute the game plan," that is why I said does not the game plan change every week depending on who we are playing. Maybe not with our coaches that might be one reason why we are 2-11. Our game plan looks like it is run right, run left, throw a short or incomplete pass and punt

Yeah I follow you, we can both agree its a steaming pile of a reason. If they are sitting him to take a look at the younger players I don't think that's such a big deal. But if they want to see them why not deactivate Cassel and let Stanzi be the backup. I don't see much difference between the two scenarios.